[Leahcim]

The powers to be have informed me I'm not chatty enough. So the question I planned on asking y'all anyway is about the Rio Clouser line. Winston 9 for 8 LT, I like throwing big ass stuff at the Lg M bass. I'm loaded with a 9 wt shooting head and thought the Rio might be good for some shorter stuff. This is a great sight [full of smart people] which I have absorbed a great deal of knowledge from, thank you. How do you contribute to this sight [a non chatty tax]? Thanks Mike

[OldMan]

Just thought i'd give your thread a bump. I can't help you with the big stuff. I like the small stuff.

[Frank Whiton]

Hi Leahcim,

The freshwater RIO Clouser may be a very good choice. It was made for your style of fishing. If you are in the Deep South you might want to consider the Saltwater RIO Clouser. The both have the same tapers but the Saltwater may be a better choice in the hot temps we get in the South.

Frank

[MTskibum]

I need some new 9 wt WF fly line myself for throwing big streamers.

The main thing i need out of a fly line is one that doesnt get a bunch of memory coils quickly. I fish quite a bit in the winter time, and after 1 season of fishing(both winter and summer) with the cortland 555, it has WAY to many coils.

I have been fishing my streamers with sinking line as well(250 grain), should i switch to a floating line? It would be easier to work with, but my worry is i wouldnt be able to get the streamers down in the deep slow runs.

[Frank Whiton]

Hi MTskibum,

Getting deep is always a dilemma. There are different ways to accomplish it and everybody works out a method that works for them. Here are some suggestions.

1. If you are not using a weighted fly you need to. If you are using a weighted fly you need more weight. A cone head helps a lot but they cause a nose down sink. I don't mean to imply a nose down sink is bad. It is about what you want the fly to do. With lead on the body you can change the attitude as the fly sinks. If you are using lead bead heads or eyes go to Tungsten.

2. A full sinking line is the best way to get a fly deep but it is harder to cast and manipulate. I prefer a integrated sink tip line with about a 10 foot sink tip. It is easer to cast than a full sink line and the floating line helps you keep track of what the tip is doing. In a slow deep pool the sink tip will work for pretty deep pools.

Using a combination of a integrated sink tip line and weighted flies you can fish pretty deep. That is the combination I used in Alaska. If you have a favorite streamer you need to tie it with different weights for different conditions.

3. A floating line will also get quite deep with a combination of longer leader, weighted fly and split shot. By inter changing the combination of weighted fly and split shot you have quite a broad depth you can fish. This is a combination I use for nymph fishing. A floating line can also be used with streamers by varying the weight of the fly. you can also use leader sink on your leader to help sink it. The problem with that is you have to keep re-applying it.

4. Here is one technique that works well in medium to fast currant that some fly fishers over look. You can increase the depth of the fly by casting farther up stream. When you cast a streamer on a floating line across from your position the currant and line tends to keep the fly higher in the water column. If you throw more up stream the line won't help suspend the fly and the currant will wash the fly deeper. The trick is to know how far up stream to cast so your fly is lower in the water column but not washed to the bottom. I am sure most of us have cast too far up stream with a streamer and it is washed to the bottom and hangs up.

5. Coils in the line is something we all have to live with. If you are not using a large arbor reel that will help a lot.

To really keep the coils down you need to remove the line from the reel if you are not going to be using it for a couple of weeks or more. This is where the loop on the end of the fly line can be helpful. Coil the line in large coils and hang it up. Don't hang on a single nail. You need something round the keeps the line in bigger coils. If you have empty spools that the fly line came on you can wind it on to the spool. What I like to do is nail the spool on the wall and then drape the fly over the spool in large loops. The line is not tightly wrapped on the spool.

Ever so often during the season you need to clean the fly line and give it a good stretching for the full length or at least all of the line you are using plus 10' or so. When you stretch the line don't put anything in the line loops and pull on the loops. Hold onto the main line and pull. My wife is getting pretty good at holding the other end.

6. One other line you might consider is a Teeny style integrated sink tip line. The sinking tip is 24' long and has an integrated running line. It is very effective in certain types of water. It is used a lot in Alaska for big rivers.

Frank

[Jimmie]

Question from a newb. If you're sinking a floating line is there any fear of it spoiling it's floating ability?

[Frank Whiton]

Hi Jimmy,

If you are talking about my post you misunderstood or I wasn't clear. You don't sink the fly line you sink the leader. The longer the leader the deeper you can fish with a floating line.

Even if you are sinking the fly line tip, if the tip is sealed it won't absorb water. What kills a fly line is water being soaked into the core. This is the reason that RIO and SA now have bonded loops on both ends of their fly lines.

Frank

[Jimmie]

Gottcha. Thanks Frank. Plus this thread just answered another question and possibly saved my bacon. Thanks Leahcim. I think that I made a mistake when I used a nail knot (backing to fly line) and snipped off the end of the fly line.

[GeorgeMcFly]

frank how do you seal your fly line? mine don't have a loop and I usually just tie my leader on with a nail knot and then clip a small piece of fly line and retie leaders as needed? I didn't know it could go bad like this. I have a 8wt cabelas I used all last year and never sealed it and tied a new leader on yesterday and it worked just like it did when I 1st got it.

[stuartr]

I seal the ends of my lines with either super glue or clear finger nail polish. I make loops by stripping the coating off and tying the core in a loop then coat the knot and behind it like stated above.

STU